Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, November 10, 2015 — 7

Penalty still irks Harbaugh

By MAX COHEN

Managing Sports Editor

Two days had passed since 

the Michigan football team’s 
dismantling of Rutgers, and Jim 
Harbaugh still wasn’t quite over 
the game. Earlier in the season, 
Harbaugh emphasized that he 
generally takes just a few hours 
to enjoy a victory. After that, his 
focus turns to the next game.

That mantra clearly doesn’t 

apply when Harbaugh is upset 
about 
something 
from 
the 

previous game. In his weekly 
press 
conference 
Monday, 

Harbaugh explained that he 
was still “offended” by the 
unsportsmanlike penalty call 
on his team late in the first half 
Saturday, when junior tight 
end Jake Butt made a 51-yard 
reception 
down 
Michigan’s 

sideline, only to be called back 
because the referees ruled that 
the play was intended to deceive 
the opponent.

Harbaugh insisted after the 

game that the Wolverines were 
not trying to deceive the Scarlet 
Knights. In Harbaugh’s version 
of the story, Butt was simply 
going to line up out wide. The 
fact that he trailed other players 
who were going to the sidelines 
was irrelevant.

Harbaugh did not change his 

tune Monday, discussing his 
disappointment with some of the 
calls made against his team at 
length, much of it unprovoked. 
He 
did 
not 
particularly 

understand the nature of the 
penalty that was called against 
this team.

“I 
take 
the 
rules 
very 

seriously, 
understanding 
the 

rules, 
understanding 
the 

consistency, the clarity of the 
rules,” Harbaugh said. “Not just 
the rules, but the spirit of the 
rules, and doing everything that 
we can to follow the rules.”

Harbaugh said he would like 

specifics so that he can show 
his team the proper protocol 
for substitutions, and ensure a 
similar incident doesn’t happen 
again. He also said he would 
like to know what else could be 
considered deception. What if, 
Harbaugh asked, a team decided 
to throw a backward pass into 
the dirt, only to have a player 
pick it up and throw it? Would 
that, too, be deception if the 
defense stopped playing?

The part that seemed to 

offend Harbaugh most, though, 
was not that his team was 
accused of attempting to deceive 
the opponent. It was that the 
Wolverines were accused of 
being unsportsmanlike.

Harbaugh, by nature, doesn’t 

always seem like a coach obsessed 
with sportsmanship. Sideline 
tirades 
are 
not 
uncommon, 

and videos have captured him 
hollering expletives at referees.

Still, he frequently preaches 

sportsmanship 
to 
his 
team. 

His players have had standing 
orders all season to refrain from 
trash talking and showboating. 
Redshirt 
freshman 
safety 

Jabrill Peppers was worried that 
Harbaugh was going to yell at 
him for strutting into the end 
zone Saturday on his second-
quarter touchdown run. 

“I take my sportsmanship 

very 
seriously,” 
Harbaugh 

said. “(You) want to do it at the 
highest level, and you also want 
to be able to talk to your players 
about what the rules are to give 
them clarity.”

Michigan’s players preferred 

to let Harbaugh sort out any 
qualms about officiating and 
interpretation of rules.

“Players play, coaches coach, 

officials officiate, so we just do 
our part,” said junior defensive 
end Taco Charlton.

Michigan senior linebacker 

Joe Bolden, who was ejected 
from 
the 
Wolverines’ 
game 

against Michigan State in a call 
that also bothered Harbaugh, 
offered a similar perspective. 
Playing football is his task, not 
worrying about officiating.

Harbaugh said Monday that 

he did not want his focus to be on 
the officials, professing respect 
for what he considers a difficult 
job. His ire instead falls upon the 
rules themselves.

The intent to deceive call 

was not the only rule that 
offended Harbaugh. He used 
the same expression to describe 
his feelings about the lack of 
a penalty on a punt return 
from Saturday’s game, when 
Michigan redshirt sophomore 
long snapper Scott Sypniewski 
was upended by a hit to his upper 
body. The play was reviewed for 

targeting, but no penalty was 
called after the targeting call 
was overturned. Targeting calls 
have mystified Michigan this 
season, and Saturday’s was just 
the latest example. Charlton 
said referees came to one of the 
Wolverines’ 
practices 
earlier 

this season, but even that did not 
clear up the ambiguity.

“A player looks like he made 

a decision to hit him, hit him 
high, hit him in the back,” 
Harbaugh said. “At least should 
be a block in the back. Should 
be unsportsmanlike for making 
that play, so I’m offended for our 
defenseless player, so you can 
put that on the list of things.”

It is worth a reminder that 

Michigan won Saturday’s game, 
49-16.

MEN’S TENNIS
Crocker wins six 
straight for title

By COLE ZINGAS

For the Daily

The Michigan men’s tennis 

team traveled to Iowa City this 
weekend for the Big Ten Singles 
Championship, which ran from 
Friday to Monday, and one 
player stole the show.

Monday, redshirt sophomore 

Davis Crocker took home the 
title in a highly talented field, 
and did so in dominant fashion. 
Crocker dropped only one set 
during his six-match streak to 
win the tournament.

According 
to 
Michigan 

associate 
head 
coach 
Sean 

Maymi, 
Crocker’s first 
tournament 
title 
is 
a 

testament 
to 

his hard work.

“He’s 

probably 
the 
hardest-

working 
guy 

we 
have,” 

Maymi 
said. 

“It’s 
not 
a 

surprise that the results are 
starting to come for him.”

Crocker ran through the 

64-player field in three days, first 
taking care of opponents from 
Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska 
and Penn State. Crocker then 
defeated 
Northwestern’s 

Ben 
Vandixhorn, 
who 
took 

down 
Crocker’s 
teammate, 

junior Kevin Wong, in the 
quarterfinals. 

That landed Crocker a spot 

in the final against Nebraska’s 
Toby Boyer. Crocker went down 
3-0 in the first set, but won the 
next six games to take the set 
before dominating the second 
set, 6-2, to finish the job. 

Crocker’s determination has 

led him to a good start to the 
year thus far, and his coaches 
hope 
the 
improvement 
can 

continue.

“I 
think 
the 
difference 

between last year and this year 
is him playing a consistent 
gamestyle that he’s buying into, 
which creates a lot of problems 
for his opponents,” Maymi said.

Crocker led the charge for 

a group of Wolverines who all 
had some positive moments in 
the tournament. Along with 
Crocker, Wong and freshman 
Lubomir Cuba made the Round 
of 16, but only Wong joined 
Crocker in the quarterfinals. 

Maymi said 

that he saw a 
great deal of 
improvement 
out of Wong 
and Cuba this 
weekend, 
and also saw 
promising 
results 
from 

junior 
Tyler 

Gardiner, who 
lost a tough 

three-setter in the first round. 

Michigan 
had 
a 
split 

squad 
this 
weekend, 
with 

the remainder of the team 
traveling to the USTA Collegiate 
Clay 
Court 
Invitational 
in 

Orlando, Fla., but none of those 
Wolverines advanced past the 
quarterfinals.

Going into the final week of 

the fall season, Crocker’s victory 
gives a boost to the entire team, 
which will compete at the 
Lakewood Ranch Invitational in 
Sarasota, Fla., this weekend.

“For him to come out and beat 

some of the best players in the 
Big Ten is a positive thing for us,” 
Maymi said. “The whole team 
gains confidence from this.”

“He’s probably 

the hardest-
working guy 

we have.”

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Jim Harbaugh voiced disappointment at the officiating during Saturday’s game.

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Junior defensive end Taco Charlton on Monday discussed Michigan’s path to the Big Ten Championship Game.
‘M’ embraces opportunity

By ZACH SHAW

Daily Sports Editor

When then-No. 7 Michigan 

State fell to Nebraska on a last-
minute touchdown, Michigan 
fans cheered. Sure, having the 
Wolverines’ in-state rival lose 
is exciting, but the loss brings a 
new level of excitement to Ann 
Arbor.

Now, if Michigan and Ohio 

State both win their next two 
games, the Nov. 28 installment 
of “The Game” will have more 
on the line than bragging rights: 
The winner will earn a berth in 
the Big Ten Championship. 

“I’m sure they’re aware of 

that,” said Michigan coach Jim 
Harbaugh. “If not, we’ll make 
them aware of it. I’m sure they 
are.”

At 
7-2, 
the 
15th-ranked 

Wolverines sit tied for second 
in the Big Ten East. The team 
tied with them, Michigan State, 
would beat them in the head-to-
head tiebreaker, but the Spartans 
still have to travel to Columbus 
and must win to stay alive.

If they lose, Michigan gets 

new life.

“It would mean a tremendous 

amount,” said junior defensive 
end 
Taco 
Charlton. 
“We 

came here to win a Big Ten 
championship 
and 
hopefully 

win a national championship, so 
the fact that we’re going in that 
direction, things are getting that 
way, that it can still happen … 
that’s what we want.”

To 
get 
there, 
though, 

Michigan has to do its part by 
beating Indiana and Penn State 
on the road. But if the Wolverines 
did, they would have a chance 
to win their first Big Ten title 
in 11 years, likely playing No. 
7 Iowa for a berth in the Rose 
Bowl. The statistics website 
FiveThirtyEight.com has given 
Michigan a 13-percent chance of 
winning the Big Ten, an eight-
percent chance of making the 
College Football Playoff and a 
one-percent chance of winning 
the National Championship.

But until further notice, that’s 

all a pipe dream. Players and 
coaches have been adamant that 
the focus this week is on Indiana, 
despite the Hoosiers’ five-game 
losing streak. The Wolverines 
will be favored in both games 
but are sticking to the one-
game-at-a-time approach that 
has worked so far.

“Guys know, and they know 

what needs to happen for us to 
get to the championship,” said 
senior linebacker Joe Bolden. 
“Most of our guys are smart 
enough to figure it out, but Coach 
Harbaugh, it’s black and white 

with him. He’ll let you know if 
you’re in the race or not.”

To be in the race, however, 

Michigan will need Ohio State 
to beat Michigan State. The 
Buckeyes would enter the game 
undefeated, but a Wolverine win 
would give them a head-to-head 
tiebreaker.

That creates a moral dilemma 

for the Wolverines, who were 
trained by fans, coaches and 
family alike to root against Ohio 
State.

“Rooting for Ohio State is 

a very bad, I would say, not a 
very good phrase,” Bolden said. 
“Obviously, we want to get to 
the 
Big 
Ten 
Championship, 

and for them to win that game 
(against MSU) here in a couple 
weeks would be awesome, but 
at the same time, I don’t really 
care what happens there. All we 
care about is Saturday. We can’t 
get there without continuously 
winning.”

But as the weeks wear on 

and Michigan keeps winning, 
the possibility of a Big Ten 
championship berth remains, 
and “The Game” can gain a 
whole new meaning.

“It’d be interesting,” Bolden 

said. “It’d be very interesting 
and a heck of a day. That last 
Saturday of November would be 
a heck of a day.”

ICE HOCKEY
Inconsistency leaves 
goalie spot available

Ex-forward Larkin 

back in town to 
watch practice

By KEVIN SANTO

Daily Sports Writer

One of the biggest issues the 

Michigan hockey team faces as 
it prepares for Friday’s matchup 
with Niagara is 
its goaltending. 
The 
problem 

has carried over from the 2014 
campaign, and it appears there 
is still no easy solution.

In the Wolverines’ matchup 

with Union on Oct. 23, senior 
goaltender Steve Racine made 
a 
sprawling 
stick-side 
save, 

extending the entire length of 
the net to keep Michigan (4-1-1) 
from conceding a goal early.

Yet 
after 
his 
display 
of 

excellent 
netminding, 
the 

veteran went on to allow five 
goals.

The following day against 

Rensselaer 
Polytechnic 

Institute, 
junior 
Zach 

Nagelvoort went in between the 
pipes and allowed just two goals 
— an improvement over Racine, 
considering one goal was simply 
a well-orchestrated play from 
the Engineers.

Nagelvoort went on to start 

against Robert Morris, when he 
allowed three goals but stopped 
a flurry of shots in the final two 
minutes of the third period to 
bolster a 5-3 Wolverine victory.

But then he, too, fell prey to 

inconsistency. In the second 
game of the series against the 
Colonials, Nagelvoort allowed 
three goals in the first period, 
Racine replaced him.

Both 
goaltenders 
have 

struggled to replicate those strong 
performances, showing flashes of 
brilliance before faltering and 
conceding weak goals.

Then 
there 
is 
freshman 

Chad Catt, the mystery man of 

Michigan’s 
goaltending 
trio. 

Fans have gained only a glimpse 
of Catt, who played one period in 
an exhibition against Toronto on 
Oct. 4.

At this point, Michigan coach 

Red Berenson has indicated that 
the starting job is open to all 
three candidates.

“(The starting spot) is open 

for whoever takes advantage of 
their chance,” Berenson said. 
“That’s the other thing. We can’t 
play all three 
goalies in one 
game or one 
weekend. But 
as the season 
progresses, 
it’s going to be 
guys 
moving 

up or moving 
down. 
It’s 

going to be up 
to them. It’s 
not like we’ve 
got a starting goalie that plays 
all the games.”

HIGH-ENERGY 

PRACTICES: Due to a bye 
week, by the time Michigan 
takes on Niagara on Nov. 13, 12 
days will have passed since its 
last game.

Following 
the 
Wolverines’ 

loss to Robert Morris, Berenson 
expressed that he would much 
rather forego the bye week and 
have another game sooner. 

That 
being 
said, 
it 
may 

have seemed concerning that 
Michigan had over a week to 
mull over a bad loss at home.

But 
despite 
Berenson’s 

original concerns, the man at 
the helm likes what he is seeing 
out of his team to begin practice 
this week.

“I think our tempo was 

good,” 
Berenson 
said. 
“You 

can feel there’s a little bit more 
enthusiasm, you know. We know 
we’ve got a game in sight now. It 
seems like we haven’t played for 
a month. But I think our team 
will have a good week.”

LARKIN 
RETURNS 
TO 

YOST: The Wolverines had a 
special guest observing their 
practice on Monday: former 
forward Dylan Larkin, who left 
Michigan for the NHL after the 
2014 season.

It’s not the first time Larkin 

has 
returned 
to 
Yost, 
and 

following 
the 
practice, 
he 

spent time connecting with his 
teammates and coaches from 
last season.

Larkin has picked up where 

he left off after 
his 
47-point 

freshman 
season. 
The 

19-year-old 
rookie is plus-
11 in 14 games 
for the Detroit 
Red 
Wings, 

and has tallied 
four goals and 
six assists.

But 
that 

doesn’t 
mean 
Larkin 
has 

forgotten the good times he had 
donning the maize and blue, and 
he had words of advice for his 
old teammates if their time in 
the NHL arrives.

“(I just miss) being a student 

athlete and being here with all 
these guys,” Larkin said. “(They 
should) just enjoy their time 
here. When everyone gets there, 
be confident and realize that even 
though there are some players 
that you grow up watching, that 
you’re there for a reason. You’re 
on the same ice as them, and you 
can’t take a back seat.”

INJURIES: 
Junior 

defenseman Kevin Lohan will 
be unavailable for Friday’s game 
against Niagara after suffering 
an upper-body injury prior to 
the Robert Morris series. But 
Berenson is optimistic about the 
blueliner’s return.

“Lohan will be out for this 

weekend,” Berenson said “But I 
think next week, we’d probably 
say he’s a candidate for the 
following game (against Boston 
University).”

“It seems like 

we haven’t 
played for a 

month.”

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